US 2017/0012863 A1Published application

Asymmetrical link aggregation

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsAmitabha Biswas, Jayakrishna Kidambi, Gang Tang, Zi Jin Tao

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a method for asymmetrical link aggregation includes detecting a link change corresponding to a previously selected port of a first set of ports used to forward frames to one of a plurality of aggregation switches connected via the first set of ports to an access switch. The method also includes re-selecting, using the access switch, a port of the first set of ports according to a distribution algorithm that ensures that all frames with a given source address are forwarded using a single port and causes frames with different source addresses to be distributed uniformly among the first set of ports in response to detecting the link change. Also, the method includes generating and sending a fake reverse address resolution protocol (RARP) frame including the given source address of the frame from the re-selected port in response to detecting the link change.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A computer program product for asymmetrical link aggregation, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the embodied program instructions executable by an access switch to cause the access switch to:

select, by the access switch, one of a first set of ports connected to at least two aggregation switches based on a source address of a frame according to a distribution algorithm in response to receiving the frame from one of a second set of ports connected to an external network, the distribution algorithm causing all frames with a given source address to be forwarded using a single port and frames with different source addresses to be distributed uniformly among the first set of ports;
send, by the access switch, the frame using the selected one of the first set of ports;
and
in response to detecting a link change corresponding to the selected one of the first set of ports:
re-select, by the access switch, one of the first set of ports according to the distribution algorithm;
generate, by the access switch, a fake reverse address resolution protocol (RARP) frame including the source address of the frame;
and
send, by the access switch, the fake RARP frame from the re-selected one of the first set of ports.

5 more elements

A method for asymmetrical link aggregation, the method comprising:

detecting a link change corresponding to a previously selected port of a first set of ports used to forward frames to one of a plurality of aggregation switches connected via the first set of ports to an access switch;
re-selecting, using the access switch, a port of the first set of ports according to a distribution algorithm that ensures that all frames with a given source address are forwarded using a single port and causes frames with different source addresses to be distributed uniformly among the first set of ports in response to detecting the link change;
generating a fake reverse address resolution protocol (RARP) frame including the given source address of the frame in response to detecting the link change;
and
sending the fake RARP frame from the re-selected port to at least one of the plurality of aggregation switches in response to detecting the link change.

2 more elements

An access switch, comprising:

a first connection to a plurality of aggregation switches through a first set of ports and respective links;
a second connection to an external network through a second set of ports;
and
a processor and logic integrated with the processor, executable by the processor, or integrated with and executable by the processor, the logic causing the processor to:
detect a link change corresponding to a previously selected port of the first set of ports;
re-select a port of the first set of ports according to a distribution algorithm that ensures that all frames with a given source address are forwarded using a single port and causes frames with different source addresses to be distributed uniformly among the first set of ports in response to detecting the link change;
generate a fake reverse address resolution protocol (RARP) frame including the given source address of the frame in response to detecting the link change;
and
send the fake RARP frame from the re-selected port to at least one of the plurality of aggregation switches in response to detecting the link change.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/271,117Filed 20 Sep 2016
Priority: CN 201310108565.729 Mar 2013
Published: 12 Jan 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H04L 45/245
Multipath: link aggregation, e.g. trunking
H04L 61/103
Of different types: across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
Y02D 30/50
Reducing energy consumption in communication networks: in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
H04L
Digital communication

Family

Application14/228,154Continuation · filed 27 Mar 2014
Application15/271,117Continuation
US 2014/0294010 A1Published application
US 9,513,750 B2Related patent
US 9,654,384 B2Related patent
US 2017/0012863 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.